The healthcare industry is under pressure. There is a high demand for sustainable alternatives and ways to reduce waste. Swedish healthcare company Mölnlycke has done something quite unique for the industry. They decided to re-create a waste art installation originally made by Dutch artist Maria Koijck where she had collected the waste from her own surgery and turned it into art.
Maria Koijck challenged the healthcare industry with art project based on waste from own breast cancer surgery
• Swedish Mölnlycke responded by showing that up to 90% of packaging waste can be saved by switching to more sustainable surgical solutions
Gothenburg, 17 October 2023: In 2019 Dutch artist Maria Koijck underwent a full mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis. The waste from her 10-hour breast reconstruction surgery two years later, including post-op care, resulted in an art installation. Highlighting the massive amount of surgical waste in a video, she directed a question to the healthcare industry: is there another way?
“I was shocked when I discovered how much waste a procedure like mine generated,” said Maria Koijck. “I'm happy that my original video got a lot of attention and reactions from the healthcare industry. But for a long time, my question has been unanswered”.
Mölnlycke Health Care, which manufactures sustainable solutions for the operating room, came across Maria Koijck’s video and asked her if she would be willing to re-create her artwork with their solution.
Together, Maria Koijck and Mölnlycke Health Care embarked on a partnership to show that up to 90% of packaging waste for surgery equipment can be reduced.
“Mölnlycke is a pioneer in sustainability, constantly working to reduce waste in the operating room,” said Mikael Olsson, Global Marketing Communication & Brand Manager ORS at Mölnlycke Health Care. We welcome and embrace partnerships with all sectors in society as we truly believe that collaborations across traditional boundaries are an effective and exciting way to drive innovation”.